I've been covering the business of news, information and entertainment in one form or another for more than 10 years. In February 2014, I moved to San Francisco to cover the tech beat. My primary focus is social media and digital media, but I'm interested in other aspects, including but not limited to the sharing economy, lifehacking, fitness & sports tech and the evolving culture of the Bay Area. In past incarnations I've worked at AOL, Conde Nast Portfolio, Radar and WWD. Circle me on Google+, follow me on Twitter or send me tips or ideas at jbercovici@forbes.com.

Is stereotyping wrong when the qualities being assigned to a given group are positive ones? How you answer that question probably determines whether you believe Volkswagen’s new Super Bowl commercial about people so happy they speak in Jamaican accents is racist or just cute.

I tend to err on the side of cute, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone who finds it to be in poor taste. There’s certainly something patronizing about reducing an entire complex culture down to “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Is “Dave” the face of the real Jamaica — a nation beset by intense corruption, violence and poverty — or the one that American tourists want to imagine (and the Jamaican tourism industry wants them to imagine)? It carries a whiff of minstrelsy.

Still, Volkswagen says it tested the ad extensively with Jamaicans and got positive feedback. On YouTube, the response has been similar, running nearly 19-to-1 in favor.

The U.N. report places Jamaica somewhat higher, at 40 out of 156 nations. That’s still not in the top quartile. But corruption and lack of economic opportunity account for a high degree of its citizens’ unhappiness. If you compare it countries with similar levels of those, it is indeed near the top of the pack. And happiness in spite of grim circumstances is, after all, the point of the Volkswagen commercial.

Do you find this ad offensive? Funny? Both? Neither? Let me know in the comments.

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I think the ad is brilliant. As a black Jamaican, I’m very aware of the fact that Jamaican Nationality isnt tied to COLOUR. And our world renowned intangible infectious ‘Jamaican Spirit.’ I actually think American TV’s treatment of the discussion is more offensive than the ad itself. What does DL Hughley have to do with Jamaica???

Dennis, I don’t think there’s anything strange or offensive in the fact that Americans might see this ad as more problematic than Jamaicans do. As I mentioned in my reply to E. Hamilton, our different history gives us a different prism and different associations. That said, I think the final word on whether it’s objectionable or not goes to Jamaicans, who overwhelmingly seem to like it. So kudos to Volkswagen.

I think our history as americans allows us to Stereo type which is never good. I am from the USVI & I too have an accent but as I said in my post, No country only has one race, and it is time for us to realize that this world is a melting pot of all races. I agree Kudos to VW for stepping outside the box.

There is absolutely nothing racist about someone duplicating an accent. If he were doing an Irish, British, or Australian accent, people wouldn’t think he was being racist at all. But because it’s the accent of a group of people who are majority black, it’s racist? That’s ridiculous.

People need to understand that if something offends them, it doesn’t make the offender racist, it makes you sensitive. A person isn’t being racist unless they’re singling out a minority with the intent to belittle them based on their color. This, clearly, isn’t an attempt to belittle anyone nor their race.

Shame on Jeff Bercovici for stating anything is racist about this commercial.

Thanks for weighing in. It’s helpful to get the views of Jamaicans on this. I think Americans probably are prone to see this through the lens of our own history. A white man portraying a cheerful, carefree black character is bound to evoke memories of minstrelsy, Uncle Remus, etc. It’s good to know that most Jamaicans are able to enjoy this commercial unencumbered by such associations.